What’s the weirdest question you have been asked?

Okay, you might think that the above IS in fact the weirdest question to be asked out of nowhere but hear me out.

In my previous organization, we had this ritual: Every meeting would start with one team member asking a random, obscure, sometimes even weird question. The format of the daily connect went something like this: Everyone would first give their answer for the question, then they would share their key priorities for the day and if they were stuck anywhere.

Initially, I used to find the questions quite pointless. When there’s hordes of work waiting to be completed, spending time answering non-work-related questions seemed frivolous.

Until I started seeing the value in them.

Breaking the Ice

How many of you are borderline introverts who never quite know how to make small talk with your colleagues? Well, add me to that list because breaking the ice is never my forte. So, how do you get the ball rolling?

Before I even needed to start thinking about it, the daily meetings began, and so did the questions! I would always be so engrossed in listening to everyone talk about their weekend plans or their favorite flavor of ice cream OR mentally planning my own answer in my head that the awkwardness I usually feel when engaging with new people was gone even before I could notice it.

When there is a set Q&A format at hand, you’re no longer worried about conversations. All you have to do is answer the question and listen to all the fun answers everyone else is giving. And the ice melts away on its own!

Connecting across Borders

We worked in a remote team, with many of us in India, many in the US, and a few in the Philippines. There’s cultural difference, of course, but there’s also a geographical divide between all of us that might have become a hindrance toward team bonding. How do you seamlessly bridge this gap? You cannot really force a connection between people. And without actually meeting someone, is it even possible to feel engaged with your team?

YES! A big, resounding yes!

The initial few minutes of each meeting felt like a hangout session between friends. We would indulge in a little bit of chit chat, get on with the questions and daily tasks, and end the meeting learning a little bit more about everyone.

Fostering Camaraderie

The more we know about a person, the closer we feel to them. It’s psychology 101!

Week after week, meeting after meeting, I kept learning new things about my co-workers that made me feel connected to them. Sharing my answers with the entire Marketing team became a high point for my day. And little by little, we became a close-knit team.

So much so, that when all of us met for the first time at our annual party, it felt like we had known each other for ages. Like old friends catching up.

That feeling of camaraderie is rare to come by. And I don’t think it would have been so organic had it not been for those ridiculous questions we would ask each other every single day!

So, go ahead and ask the silliest questions you can think of, and your team will be all the more richer for it!